Improvement in steam-engine slide-valves



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www my@ @glei-mi E. B. LATCH, OF GENERAL PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND EDMUND LINCOLN., 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

Letters Pate/nt No. 83,716, dated November 3, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM-ENGINE SLIDE-VALVES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the lame.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, E. B. LATCH, of General Wayne Post Oice, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Slide-Valves; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention consists in the combination of a slidevalve, a plate, and intervening springs or elastic packing, with a second plate, the whole being constructed and arranged, substantially as described hereafter, so that the valve may be relieved from excessive pressure, and may work more freely than ordinaiy valves, the operation of which seriously detracts from the power of the engine.

My invention further consists of a thin metal strip, arranged substantially as herein described, in respect to the valve 'and the plate adjacent tothe same, so,

that a tight joint may be maintained between the two.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make and apply my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a sectional View of a steam-chest containing my improved slide-valve and its adjuncts;

Figure 2, a transverse section on the line 1-2, iig. l; and

Figure 3, a plan view.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A A represent the sides, and'A A the ends ofthe steam-chest, of which B is the cover, having an opening, a, communicating with the steam-pipe.v

Dis the face of the cylinder, in which are the usual steam-ports, b b, and exhaust-port, (l.A

E is the slide-valve, having on the under side a recess, e, adapted to the ports of the cylinder, as usual, and between this recess and the upper recess f is a partition, h, in which are a number'of small holes.

F is a plate, of a rectangular form, corresponding to that of the valve, to the upper facegof which the plate is so tted that it cannot move laterally or longitudinally, independently of the valve, and the upper face of the latter and under face of the plateare so formed that a packing-space, i, mtervenes between the two.

The joint between the valve and the plate is closed, at the exterior of the same, by a thin metal strip, j,

which is loosely Aattached tothe valve and plate, and extends entirely around the same.

A second plate, G, which I term the packing-plate, is situated directly above the plate F, and -this plate Gr has, on each side, ribs, which bear upon recessed ledges, n, in the chest, as seen in g. 2, the ribs and ledges being such as to prevent the plate G from moving with the valve.

It should be understood, however, that a system of springs, or an elastic packing intrvenes between the valve and the plate F, so that when the packing-plate G is, by the pressure of steam, brought into contact with the ledges on the chest, it has compressed the packing or springs between the valve and plate F, with which the packing-plate G is consequently in intimate contact.

'The valve and its plate F can thus slide freely between the face of the cylinder and the plateG, and is relieved from that excessive pressure of steam which renders the working of ordinary valves difficult, and detracts from the power of the engine.

In order to keep the plate G down to its bearing, I use springs, mm, attached to the inside of the steamchest, and these 'springs eiectually prevent all jumping of the valve. i

' The pressure of steam maintains the thin strip, j, of metal tight against the sides of the valve and plate F, so as to maintain a tight joint between the two. Should there be a slight leakage at this joint, the steam will pass freely oil' through the openingsin the partition to the exhaust.

I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patentq 1. The combination of the valve E, plate F, and intervening springs or elastic packing with the packingplate G, the whole being constructed and arranged substantially as herein set forth.

2. The thin metal strip j, adapted fo the valve E and plate F, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

E. B. LATCH.

Witnesses:

E. H. BArLEY, 0. B. PRICE. 

